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My Mother maiden name (Vera May Hutson) was 14 when war was declared in 1939. She was one of four sisters (Margaret, Vera, Nora and Sheila) who all lived at 25 Crowlands Avenue in Romford, with their parents Bill and Ivy Hutson. Bill worked as a Green Line bus driver and Ivy worked for a small local electrical component factory producing windings. Both Vera and Nora worked at Lacrinoids a factory producing buttons. Sheila was still at school and Margaret worked for the Food Office at Langtons until 1941 when she went to work at the Co-op in Elm Park with her friend Peggy Howarth.

A memory my Mother told me about was the time she left for work during the battle of Britain. ’ I was walking from the front door of 25 to the gate when I became aware of a plane flying low and coming up Crowlands Avenue it was machine gunning as it went and I could see the pilot and the big black iron cross on its side. I ran back in side and told my mother and sisters and we all went in the cupboard under the stairs. After a while we could hear the sound of my dad carrying a rather shaking cup and saucer down the stairs ready to go on his shift. He said what’s all the fuss about! He was always calm on those occasions although I think he must have been rather frightened, he was a very deep sleeper owing to the long shifts he did. However we were all fine.

It turned out later that the plane (possibly a Messerschmitt 109) was attacking the Romfrord Gas Company’s gas holders in Crow Lane and the railway sidings. My Mother when aged 18 then went on to become a Nurse with her sister Nora in the Nursing Auxiliary and spent their time working at Black Notley and Maldon Hospitals.

Another sad tale my Mother told me was about the time they used to live in Byron Road Gillingham Kent. They had an uncle Herbert who lived in Shakespeare Road. He was in the Navy and was going to marry a lovely girl named Lilly Easter on his next leave. Shortly before his leave he was tragically killed on HMS Dido whilst taking part in the evacuation of troops and the defence of Crete, where his ship sustained damage to B gun, killing 46 men. No remains were ever found. His award details are given below.

The Secretary of the Admiralty
Presents his compliments and by
Command of the Lords Commissioners
of the Admiralty has the honour to
transmit the enclosed Awards for
service in the war of 1939-45. The
Lords Commissioners share your sorrow
that Herbert Robinson Johnson in
respect of whose service these Awards
are granted did not live to receive
them.

Medals received =
The 1939 to 1945 War medal
The Atlantic Star
The 1939 to 1945 Star
The Africa Star

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